Only the second episode of the third series of 'Homeland', and Carrie was back in hospital, eyes all over the place, hair being flicked, and shouting that she's the only one who knows the truth about Brody. Isn't this how the last series started?

Homeland has two Carries in the box - the hyper-focused, tireless CIA agent, and the paranoid, unmedicated loose cannon. With the latter on display here, the only question was - was it Saul's apparent treachery that caused this, or vice versa? And why had Beardy deserted his protégée?

Carrie - alone and outraged... again

To make way for a new one? Carrie's absence from the Agency made space for Fara (Nazanin Boniadi), a multilingual analyst of eight days experience, charged with bringing a bunch of international criminals to account. Apparently, that's the kind of veteran expertise you get if half the Agency gets blown down a hole, but I'm not sure I'm buying her solo mission, nor Saul's apparent political incorrectness over the headscarf.

It all felt a bit holding pattern to be honest, and I'm missing Brody. On the plus side, his continuing absence made for some cracking, low-level but important scenes between Saul (Mandy Patinkin) and Dar Adal (F Murray Abraham). Rarely have set pieces of complex dialogue between two middle-aged, bearded men been so stimulating.

Why has Saul abandoned his protegee Carrie - apparently?

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